Discovery Place, a group of science-based attractions in and around Charlotte, North Carolina, has announced a series of upgrades including a brand new planetarium experience.

Discovery Place Nature’s existing dome, which opened in 1965, is being refurbished to offer state of the art stargazing to the public. The planetarium is set to reopen in 2017. Meanwhile, at Discovery Place Science, a new interactive maker lab and a new biomedical lab are under way. The latter allows guests to “explore the world of human health and biomedical science in an all-new hands-on, interactive experience”. Both are opening next spring.

This is all part of a wider initiative to launch a new brand identity for Discovery Place, with new logos, websites and name changes for its attractions.

“For 70 years, Discovery Place has been dedicated to fulfilling our community’s need for educational experiences in science, technology and nature, starting in 1946 when Charlotte Nature Museum first opened,” said Catherine Wilson Horne, CEO of Discovery Place.

“Since then, we have grown to offer four distinct museum experiences, multiple education and outreach programs and professional development training for educators throughout the region. We’ve expanded so broadly that our audiences were having a hard time understanding the full scope of our work. Rebranding all of our efforts under one collective identity not only better reflects who we are, but also helps us more effectively communicate with our visitors and community members about what we do and how we serve them,” she said.

Discovery Place consists of several satellite organisations serving people in and around the Carolinas, including Discovery Place Science, Discovery Place Nature and two Discovery Place Kids, one in Rockingham and one in Huntersville.